Cotton-chopper



(No Model.)

I. E. GAY.

OOTTON GHOPPBIL No. 487,831. Patented Deo. 131. 1892l Him ,f

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC E. GAY, OF OAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLNA.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 487,831, dated December13, 1892.

Application tiled July 19, 1892. Serial No. 440,516. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC E. GAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Camden, in the county of Kershaw and State of SouthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Chopper, of which thefollowing is a speciication.

This invention relates to cotton-choppers, and has special reference toimprovements upon the details of construction illustrated, described,and claimed in United States Patent No. 416,622, granted me June 7,1892.

The objects and advantages of the invention, together with the novelfeatures thereof,

will hereinafter appear, and be particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cotton-chopperembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a rearelevation.

Like numerals indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the main or longitudinal beam, to the upper side of which,at the front end thereof, there is secured an upwardly-inclinedperforated draft-bar 2,to which the usual draft devices may be appliedand adj usted. Opposite-inclined blocks 3 are bolted to the oppositesides of the bar 2 and the beam l, and have their edges covered withstrap-iron, as shown, for the purpose of giving strength and addingprotection. Interposed between the blocks 3 is a space-block 4, to whichthe blocks 3 are bolted, and whose upper end rises above the upper edgesof the blocks 3.

A transverse beam 5 is located upon the upper side of the main beam 1,and may be raised and lowered upon said beam l through the medium of anadj usting-block 6, provided with a series of steps, each one of whichhas a bolt-hole for the accommodation of abolt 7. By arranging thevarious steps of this block under the beam 5 it will be obvious that thebeam and the parts carried thereby will be raised and lowered inaccordance therewith.

A pair of vertical standards 8 rise from thev cross-bar 5 at oppositesides of the center of the same, and are connected at their upperhandles pass removably into sockets located upon metal straps 12, thatembrace and bind the edges of the two blocks 3, and beyond said strapthe handles 10 are bolted at 13 to the upper edges of the blocks.

Y In advance of the transverse beam5 a transverse rake-head or bar 14 issecured to the main beam 1,.and the same is provided `at each side ofthe main beam with a series of depending rake-teeth. rlhe ends of therakehead are slotted at 15, as shown. lnclined brace-rods 16 have theirfront ends connected to the blocks 3, extend rearward, pass through theslots 15, and are finally connected to the extremities of the bar 5,whereby the bar 5, rake-head, and blocks form a rigid structure.Inclined braces 17 are secured to the standards 8, and at their lowerends to the bar 5, whereby the standards are braced against the strainto which they are subjected. A block 19 surmounts the beam l between'theblocks 3, and a shank-boltV 20 passes through a perforation in saidblock and through the upper end or shank of a shovel 21, which islocated upon the under side of the main beam 1 near the 'front end ofthe latter.

22 designates a U-shaped chopper, which embraces the under side of themain beam 1, and whose extremities are connected to opposite sides ofthe center of the transverse bar or beam 5. The beam 1 is reduced at itsrear end, so as to facilitate the passage through the chopper of thecotton, weeds, and other rubbish. Near the ends of the transverse beam 5a pair of outer and smaller choppers 23 are located, and the same areprovided at their lower ends with V- shaped blades 24. At the inner endsof the choppers 23 and the outer ends of the chopper 22 fenders 25 aresecured, and the same are designed toprotect the plants that remainunchopped and pass between the choppers. The central pair of fendershave their front ends connected to the main beam 1, and all the fendershave theirfront ends inclined, so as to ride readily over the ground.Between the series of choppers the bar 5 is provided with a series ofdepending teeth 27.

In operation, after the seed has been sownl and the furrows formed, thusdividing the plants into rows, and when the young plants, together withthe grass, completely ill each IOO row my machine is dragged across therows transversely or at right angles to the beforementioned furrows. Theadvance plow breaks the ground and is followed by the rake, whichthoroughly removes all rubbish, and therefore prevents the choppers,which follow in the path of the rake, from becoming clogged by suchrubbish. The choppers serve to chop out the space and thus form thestands,while the rake-teeth pass through the stands, destroying thegrowth of grass and weeds that is usually chopped out by hand. When theend of the field has been reached, the machine is turned and startedtoward the opposite side, the chopper traveling back at one side of thesame path it originally traveled. In this manner the crop Vis mostthoroughly worked and the cotton is brought to a stand with expedition.The cotton being drilled it is of course planted too deep to be affectedmuch by the rake-teeth, while the light grass and weeds not being dee}:)-rooted are readily der side near its front end with a depending Shoveland upon its upper side at said end with a pair of blocks, an interposeddraft device located between the blocks, a rake-head mounted on the beamin rear of the blocks and provided at opposite sides of 'the beam withdepending teeth, a vertically-adjustable chopper bar or beam in rear ofand parallel to the rake-head and supported by the beam 1, U-shapedchoppers depending from the chopping-beam, forwardly-disposed fenders atthe inner sides of and secured to the outer choppers, and a similarfender at each side of the central chopper and extending forwardtherefrom and connected to the beam 1, teeth depending from thechopping-bar between the fenders, standards rising from thechoppingbeam, and handles secured to the standards and at their frontends to the blocks, sub stan'tially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC E. GAY.

Witnesses:

W. CLYBURN, W. CLYBURN, J r.

